PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has said that the establishment of new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country over the last decade has strengthened access to quality healthcare and medical education in the country. He said that good governance lies in understanding and serving the needs of the people. The VP was addressing the sixth convocation ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh on Thursday.
Highlighting the spiritual and cultural significance of Rishikesh as a global centre of reflection and healing, and a gateway to the Himalayas, the VP noted that such a setting adds deeper meaning to the solemnity of the convocation ceremony.
He said that India demonstrated resilience, innovation and commitment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Covid-19 pandemic. He highlighted India’s large-scale vaccination drive, noting that over 140 crore citizens received free vaccines, ensuring equitable access to healthcare. Mentioning the Vaccine Maitri initiative, Radhakrishnan said that vaccines were supplied to over 100 countries under the initiative which reinforced India’s role as a compassionate and responsible global partner.
Praising AIIMS Rishikesh, he said the institute stands as a model of excellence by combining clinical care, academic strength, research, innovation and social commitment. He particularly appreciated its telemedicine initiatives, noting that healthcare must go beyond hospital campuses to reach remote and underserved populations. The VP also lauded innovative healthcare interventions such as Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and the use of drones for delivering medicines during the Char Dham Yatra and in remote areas. He said that healthcare is a public trust and that the medical professionals play a vital role in nation-building. He urged the young graduates and post graduates to contribute through preventive care, rural outreach, research and innovation.
The governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh said that the healthcare sector is rapidly changing with artificial intelligence and modern research methods. He said that access to health services in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand remains challenging and the young doctors should transform these challenges into opportunities, providing services in remote areas and instilling trust in society.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the medical field is not just a profession, but the highest medium of service to humanity, which should be performed with dedication, sensitivity and compassion. He said that AIIMS Rishikesh, established by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has today established itself as a vital life-saving institution for the state. It offers state-of-the-art facilities such as cancer treatment, neurosurgery, robotic surgery and joint replacement.
The CM welcomed and felicitated Radhakrishnan on behalf of the people of Uttarakhand.
Addressing the graduating doctors, Union minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel said that the medical profession is not just a career, but the highest form of service to humanity. Haridwar MP and former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Rajya Sabha MPs Naresh Bansal and Mahendra Bhatt, AIIMS Rishikesh chairman Raj Bahadur, executive director Dr Meenu Singh and others attended the ceremony.
